Improvement in apparatus for refining lead



AUNrrEn 'Sfrn'rnsl PATENT Orrron,

GEORG FAUSTMANN, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TOYTHOMAS J. WILSON, OF SAME PLACE. A

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR REFINING L-EAD.

Speciiicationpforming part of Letters Patent No. 150,551, dated May 5, 1874; application tiled April 6, 1874.

ployed and economizing space.

To these ends the invention includes a primary kettle, hung upon trunnions, to facilitate pouring, and arranged over a furnace, which is one of a series in the same structure, the lead either being run into said kettle direct from the blast-furnace, or it may be put therein as pig and melted, and the antimony and copper extracted from the lead by skimming oif the same as they are brought to the surface by Aa perforated steam agitator and Kdistributer.'

The upper front portion of this furnace is of a hinged sectional' construction to provide for the `tilting of tle primary kettle, and to form a runner for the lead as itis poured therefrom onto the sweating plate or table, where it is cooled by artificial, means or otherwise, and which plate is hinlgedi in the rear, and first raised to keep said plate at a level while the cooling is being effected, and, after the precious metals have been brushed off or collected, is lowered to run ofi:` the lead or residue as melted by a furnace under the sweating-plate, and

` .which acts in a reverberatory manner by the passage of its ame over the spread lead. To attain this result there is used a hinged metallic plate capable of being thrown back when the lead is being cooled, but of being closed to form a fiue when it is necessary to run off the lead from the sweating-plate into aiinishin gkettle, in which is aperforated steam distributor and agitator to provide for the extraction of the zinc and other extraneous metals, and which is provided with a gate to run off the refined lead into molds,` said finishingdrettle being heated by a third or separate furnace in the same general'structure. The gold and silver, together with any zinc or lead, as taken from the sweating-plate, is placed in a blacklead Crucible, which is put into a coke iire, and the contents brought into a metallic fluid state, the crucible being closed to prevent oxidation of the zinc, and a perforated steam distributer and agitator being used, if desired, to com plete the separation of the metals.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention prior to or at the commencement of the operation; Fig. 2,`a plan of the same; Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section on the line a: x; Fig. 4, a transverse vertical section on the line y y; and Fig. 5, a longitudinal vertical section, showing the tilting of the primary kettle and elevation of the sweating-plate during the pro. cess or operation. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of the crucible, with accompanying parts i.

used in the course of the operation.

A is the primary furnace, and B the primary kettle, into which latter the lead is run from the blast -furnace, or in which it is placed as pig and melted. In this kettle is arranged a perforated arm steam distributer and agitator, C, made to revolve by any suitable means, for the purpose of bringing the antimony and copper to the surface, and which is afterward skimmed off. Afterthe lead has been duly melted or retained in its fluid state in the primary kettle B, the same is poured onto what is known in the art as a sweating plate or table, D. To facilitate this the primary kettle Bis hung upon trunnions b b, and the same tilted, as represented in Fig. 5. To provide for this, the upper front portion of the furnace A is made up of hinged sectional plates c, hinged below the center, one of which forms a runner for the molten lead as it is being poured from the kettle B `onto the sweating-plate. The sweatingplate D is hinged in its rear end, as at d, under the mouth of the primary kettle, and, in its normal condition, occupies a downwardly-inclined position from'the primary kettle, as represented in Fig. l, but which is raised at its forward end to place it on a level or in a horizontal position when running the lead froln the primary kettle, as represented in Fig. 5. E is a metallic lid or cover hinged at e, on the one side of the plate l), and which is thrown up or back when running the lead from the primary kettle onto the sweatingplate. After the lead has been run onto the sweating table or plate, it is cooled by a blower or otherwise, and the gold a-nd silver, as far as practicable, collected from the broken or powder-like mass. The lid E is then let down or closed to form a flue in connection with the branch F, whereby draft for the flame from an independent furnace, G, through an aperture,

j', is established over the remaining lead and residue on the surface of the sweating-plate.

' The metal thus run oif from the sweating-plate is emptied, on lowering the forward'end of said plate, into a second or finishing kettle, H,

. arranged over an independent furnace, I, and

which kettle is provided with a lever-gate, J, to regulate the gradual discharge of the lead from said kettle, through an aperture, g, into 1nolds,the pipe or a similarperforated steam distributer and agitator C, as used in the kettle B, being used to separate the zine and other impurities. The gold and silver, with any remaining zinc or lead taken from the sweatingplate D, are run into a black-lead Crucible, K, which is put into a coke lire, and, after its metallic contents are brought into a fluid state the Crucible is closed by a lid, 7c, to prevent oxidation of the zinc. The metal in said crucible may also be subjected to the action of the perforated steam distributer and agitator C, to effect the extraction of any remaining baser metals.

This invention essentially diifers fromthe process heretofore practiced, or means ernployed, in several important respects. Thus, the lead, as heretofore, is not run from the primary kettle into molds, and the pigs afterward placed on the sweatingtable, subject to flame., which heats the gold and silver away. My invention obviates this wastedoes away with a separate furnace for cleaning before introducing into the rst kettle, the steam distributer and agitator C in said kettle effecting the desired result, and its re-use` in the second kettle completing the cleaning process, and hand labor generally; besides, first cost and yother outlays are economized.

The tilting action of the sweating-plate D,

which keeps the metal back till it is required to run it or the residue oft', and the lid'or cover E, constitute important elements in the apparatus, and,by my invention, not only are more gold and silver extracted, but the lead residue is purer or better refined.

I claim- 1. The primary kettle B, hung on trunnions b, in combination with the furnace A and sec-V tional hinged or movable upper front plate c, substantially as specified.

2. The inclined sweating plate or table D, hinged in the rear or at its upper end, in combination with the furnace G,the lid or cover E, draft-outlet F, substantially as specified.

GEORG FAUsrMANN. 

